Controller

Etude; United States; Remote; USD 210,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Etude is seeking a Controller to lead all accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls across the organization, with ownership spanning its MGA operations and its surplus lines carrier. The role requires deep expertise in U.S.

GAAP and SAP, statutory reporting for NAIC, and a track record scaling finance in a high-growth environment. The role reports to the CEO and offers exposure to senior leadership for strategic decision-making and investor relations.

Qualifications

• Insurance carrier experience spanning MGA and surplus lines (E&S) or admitted carrier.
• Statutory SAP and NAIC reporting experience incl. NAIC Annual Statement oversight.
• Big Four audit/assurance background.

Responsibilities

• Own accounting operations across MGA and surplus lines carrier; manage GL and close processes.
• Design, implement internal controls and scalable financial policies (SOX-style).
• Lead annual statutory and GAAP audits; liaise with external auditors, tax advisors, regulators.
• Build and mentor a high-performing accounting team.
• Manage consolidated financial reporting across Etude entities and intercompany eliminations.

Skills

Insurance carrier experience spanning

Statutory SAP & NAIC reporting

Big Four background

CPA designation

7+ years of experience

US GAAP & SAP expertise

Consolidations & intercompany elimin

Premium & reinsurance accounting

NAIC Schedules F/P/D

SOX/internal controls

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance

Master's degree in Accounting/Finance (preferred)

Job description

About the business

Etude operates in insurance, commercial real estate, and industrials. Our insurance business covers more than 5,000 properties with billions of dollars in insured value. Our real estate business owns approximately $1B of commercial property alongside the Kinder Family Office. Our industrial business is developing a multibillion-dollar, 40-acre steelworks to secure the domestic supply chain for electrical infrastructure.

About the team

We are roughly a 100-person team. We hire high-agency people and give them autonomy, responsibility, and diverse problems to work on. We operate with the intensity of a small company where every person’s work is visible and believe responsiveness is a form of respect. If you’re looking for a place to sharpen your craft alongside people who take their work seriously, you’ll fit right in.

About The Role

Etude is hiring a Controller to lead all accounting, financial reporting, and internal controls across the organization — with full ownership spanning our Managing General Agent (MGA) operations and our surplus lines insurance carrier. The role owns dual-track reporting: U.S. GAAP financial statements for Etude and its consolidated entities, and statutory financial statements filed with state insurance regulators under NAIC Statutory Accounting Principles. The ideal candidate combines a Big Four audit foundation with hands‑on accounting experience inside an insurance carrier, and a track record of building and scaling finance functions in a high‑growth environment. This is a high-visibility leadership role reporting to the CEO with direct exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision‑making.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and oversee all accounting operations across the MGA and the surplus lines carrier, including general ledger management, month-end / quarter-end / year-end close, and intercompany accounting between the producer and the underwriter.

• Design, implement, and maintain robust internal controls and financial policies that scale with organizational growth (SOX-style frameworks preferred).

• Lead the annual statutory and GAAP audits and serve as the primary liaison with external auditors, tax advisors, state insurance examiners, and the engaged actuary.

• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing accounting team; establish best-in-class processes and a culture of continuous improvement.

• Manage consolidated financial reporting across Etude entities, including intercompany transactions and eliminations between the MGA and the carrier.

• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership to provide financial insights, variance analysis, and strategic recommendations.

• Own premium and claims accounting cycles, ceded and assumed reinsurance accounting, deferred acquisition cost (DAC) treatment, and loss reserve accounting.

• Oversee cash management, treasury functions, investment accounting (including NAIC SVO-rated portfolios), and capital allocation reporting.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax requirements, including premium tax filings and surplus lines tax compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

• Evaluate and enhance financial systems, tools, and technology infrastructure to support scalability and operational efficiency.

• Support fundraising, investor reporting, and due diligence processes as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Insurance carrier experience required , with responsibility spanning an MGA and a surplus lines (Excess & Surplus / E&S) or admitted carrier.

• Statutory accounting (SAP) and NAIC reporting experience required — including preparation or direct oversight of the NAIC Annual Statement and quarterly statements.

• Big Four background required — audit or assurance experience at Deloitte, PwC, EY, or KPMG.

• CPA designation required ; Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.

• Minimum 7 years of progressive accounting and finance experience.

• Deep expertise in both U.S. GAAP and SAP , the differences between the two frameworks, and the bridging entries required to reconcile them.

• Demonstrated experience managing accounting functions across multiple legal entities and lines of business.

• Strong technical accounting skills including consolidations, intercompany eliminations, premium accounting (written / earned / unearned), loss reserve accounting, and reinsurance accounting (ceded and assumed).

• Hands‑on familiarity with NAIC Schedules F, P, and D , and Risk-Based Capital reporting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Accounting, Finance, MBA, or a related advanced degree.

• Experience inside a high‑growth insurtech, specialty insurer, or scale‑up environment.

• Prior responsibility for state‑by‑state premium tax filings and surplus lines tax compliance.

• Experience operating inside an insurance holding structure (HoldCo + carrier + MGA).

• Familiarity with investment accounting under SSAP No. 26R, SSAP No. 30R, and SSAP No. 43R (bonds, equities, structured securities).

• Proficiency with insurance‑specific statutory reporting and ERP platforms (Workiva, EagleEye, SunGard EAS, SAP Insurance, or similar) and modern financial planning tools.

• SOX or SOX‑style internal controls implementation experience.

If you don’t have all the qualifications listed, don’t worry! We understand everyone’s career path is unique and still encourage you to apply if you feel this role is aligned with your career trajectory.

Employment at Etude is contingent upon a satisfactory verification of a general and criminal background check.